warm line
n.— «One of the new ways parents are being included is through phone calls such as the ones Ball gets from time to time. It’s sometimes referred to as a “warm line.” Calls can be made by any number of people—someone such as Doody, or a volunteer with a military family centre or even an officer from the soldier’s unit. “Some are doing it weekly, at least monthly,” says Doody. “We’re reaching out through phone lines just to say “How you doing? Is there anything the Military Family Resource Centre can do for you?” (It’s) to let them know they’re not forgotten.» —“Military reaches out to families of Canadian soldiers on Afghan mission” in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Canadian Press Apr. 19, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
What kind of book do people ask for most often in prison? Romance novels? No. The Bible? No. The most requested books by far are … dictionaries! A number of volunteer organizations gather and distribute used dictionaries to help inmates with...
Twice a day the River Thames recedes, revealing a muddy shoreline. Hobbyists known as mudlarks stroll the surface searching for objects that have found their way into the river over the centuries, everything from ancient Roman jewelry to modern...